FIFA accuses UEFA of ‘misinformation’ campaign

FIFA has accused European soccer’s governing body UEFA of a “misinformation” campaign to access documents related to Gianni Infantino’s plan to sell off parts of the FIFA World Cup.

In FIFA’s response in a court case in Florida, it said UEFA’s attempt to force the world body to hand over the documents is also an attempt to “influence” next year’s FIFA presidential election.

FIFA president Infantino caused uproar in July with proposals to create a commercial subsidiary to run its biggest events, such as the World Cup and Club World Cup.

The plan would have allowed private investors to acquire stakes in a company created under the FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) initiative. The backlash that followed led to the proposals being quickly shelved.

FIFA said in its court filing that UEFA makes “numerous false or misleading statements” about Infantino and the world governing body, including that “Infantino sought to profit personally from the FFE proposal.”

UEFA was contacted for its response.

UEFA, home to World Cup holders Spain and soccer powerhouses such as France, England and Germany, is leading the opposition to Infantino, calling openly for his removal.

FIFA confirmed this month that Infantino would stand again for president in the election in March next year, despite the backlash over his now-abandoned private investment plan.

Infantino sent a letter to FIFA’s 211 members this week indicating that a greater amount of money could be distributed to FIFA members from its cash reserves.

In the letter, Infantino said he would support “the greatest level of additional funding that can responsibly be delivered.”

Infantino insisted in the letter that the abandoned proposal to sell off World Cup commercial rights had been intended to generate additional money for soccer.

“The recent commercial proposal, now withdrawn, was intended to enable FIFA to invest more in football,” Infantino wrote.

Infantino is not without friends — 2034 World Cup hosts Saudi Arabia came out in support last month, with the Confederation of African Football and South America’s CONMEBOL also supportive.

The Football Association of Ireland (FAI) has found itself divided ahead of their two Nations League clashes with Israel, with the players disagreeing over whether to boycott the first game today and goalkeeper Gavin Bazunu withdrawing from the squad. After hours of fraught meetings among the players and occasionally involving coaches and officials, FAI chief executive officer David Courell said at a news conference that had been delayed by several hours that a “significant majority” of the squad had agreed to play the game in Hungary, but it was far from a unanimous decision.

The handful of Irish journalists present questioned Courell

MORE MEDALS: Taiwan’s men’s table tennis team added a bronze to the nation’s medal haul, while the women’s basketball team advanced to the semi-finals Taiwan yesterday secured their first e-sports medal at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, claiming bronze in the Naraka: Bladepoint tournament after falling 0-3 to China in the semi-finals. The Taiwanese squad, comprising Liu Tang-shiun, Chen Shang-yi, Cheng Hsu-yu, Yen Kai-en and Yeh Chih-yu, had already secured a place on the podium when they advanced to the final four as the runners-up in their preliminary group.

The bronze is first e-sports medal Taiwan has won at this year’s Asian Games. Naraka: Bladepoint is a game in which the players fight each other to be the last one standing. The game incorporates martial arts-inspired melee combat. TABLE

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The unexpected surge strained accommodation and transport networks, prompting complaints from athletes and team officials over cramped rooms, small beds and travel delays. “There have been mistakes in accommodation and transport, for various reasons,” AINAGOC secretary-general Satoshi Murate told a press conference. “Whatever the

The Asian Games has crowned teenage champions before, but this edition has witnessed stunning successes by child prodigies, including Yuki Kurihara standing atop the podium aged just 11. The Japanese primary school student beat opponents three times his age on the way to a historic gold in e-sports in Nagoya. He is Japan’s youngest Asian Games winner in history and almost certainly the youngest the Games have ever seen.

Kurihara did not even react after taking home the gold in Saturday’s final in Puyo Puyo Champions, a puzzle game where players try to clear their screen of colored blobs by lining them up